The second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is being held in Beijing from April 25 to 27, and leaders including heads of state and government from nearly 40 countries will attend the forum's roundtable meeting.

The Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes to seek common development and prosperity.

A total of 126 countries, including developed and developing nations, and 29 international organisations have signed cooperation documents with China on the initiative.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony, called for greater attention to tackling climate change and poverty as Pakistan and China enter the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The prime minister appreciated the significance of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), saying it "marks a new and distinct phase in the onward march of nations in the world along the path of globalisation".

Later in the evening, a welcome banquet was hosted by President Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan in honour of the world leaders at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.